NFL Rejects AMVETS Super Bowl Ad; Pig Socks Totally OK [VIDEO]

My Eagles are going to the Super Bowl! I’ve been an Eagles fan since my high school days in Philly, and I haven’t been this excited since Super Bowl XXXIX, when we choked against the Patriots; however I will not be watching the game. As much as I love my team, the NFL has earned nothing but my middle finger after today’s report that they rejected a one-page ad for its Super Bowl program by American Veterans (AMVETS) due to two “controversial words”: Please Stand.

Here’s the “offensive” ad the NFL decided to reject, ostensibly because of its “political message.” Horrible, isn’t it? Appalling, in fact. How DARE an organization started by World War II service members suggest that Americans stand up to honor this country’s national anthem, the people who serve to defend our country, and our flag!

I mean, it’s not like these heroes fought, bled, and died in defense of this country or anything, right?

/sarcasm

John Hoellwarth, the national communications director for AMVETS, told The Daily Caller Monday that despite being specifically targeted as a potential ad buyer by H.O. Zimman, the publishing firm responsible for putting out the official Super Bowl program, AMVETS’ #PleaseStand ad was ultimately rejected without a proper explanation as to why.

AMVETS was given the chance to submit a new ad but did not accept the offer.

“AMVETS believes people should stand for the National Anthem,” Hoellwarth stated. “We don’t insist that they must, and we don’t vilify them if they don’t. It’s their choice. But we’d like to politely ask them to ‘please’ choose standing, and that’s all this ad does.”

“The NFL’s decision to reject this very reasonable message from veterans is both surprising and very disappointing.”

The NFL claims they tried to work with AMVETS to alter the program ad to its liking, according to press, and they claim they just want to let fans enjoy the game, rather than become a venue for political statements. I would fully understand and support that assertion, had the organization not publicly taken very obvious sides in the anthem protest debate, but as it stands, their claims ring pretty hollow.

“The Super Bowl game program is designed for fans to commemorate and celebrate the game, players, teams and the Super Bowl,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told USA TODAY Sports by email. “It’s never been a place for advertising that could be considered by some as a political statement. The NFL has long supported the military and veterans and will again salute our service members in the Super Bowl with memorable on-field moments that will be televised as part of the game.”

Irony of ironies!

The NFL is apparently just fine with members of the military holding a huge flag at the start of their games. That’s not a political statement at all. The organization is also OK with its employees (read: players) staging political protests on the field during a time when the nation and the fans show respect for our nation. That’s not a political statement either. Neither is wearing socks depicting police officers as pigs, or kneeling, or raising fists in the air like militant douche crackers to protest injustices these players do not face, being spoiled millionaires and all.

The NFL has no problem having a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner sung by a retired service member at its games. That’s not political either.

But running an ad paid for by men who sacrificed more than any of these jerks could possibly imagine, simply encouraging folks to stand? Nope. That’s an unacceptable political statement, and it will not be allowed.

Folks, I’m an American military veteran. My family serves with honor – a tradition I hope my kids will carry on when they have families of their own. I am also an immigrant. I am grateful for every opportunity this country afforded me, both as a woman and as a minority. I honor this nation with my service and with simple gestures such as standing and saluting the flag when the national anthem is played.

As a conservative libertarian, I also believe in freedom and choice. I support peaceful, non-disruptive protests. I don’t have to agree with them, but I served – and my children serve – to protect the freedoms we Americans hold dear, including the freedom to speak out and criticize our country and our government. That’s a freedom I never had in my country of origin, so I appreciate it more than I can say.

This is a First Amendment issue, but not the way the left claims.

If the NFL was a completely private entity that received no taxpayer dollars and took a principled stand on not allowing political statements at games, or on its programs…

If the NFL – as a private entity that received no public funding – decided all forms of protest were allowed, including letting players wear Che Guevara decals on their helmets to celebrate communism…

If the NFL was in no way supported by tax dollars, and made private decisions about what was and was not allowed as far as political protests go, I’d have no problem with it. The customers (read: viewers and fans who buy tickets, watch the broadcast games on TV, and purchase NFL gear) are the ones who would make the decision to support the players and the NFL or not.

Unfortunately, the taxpayers are not given that choice. Their tax dollars are used to support this organization whether they like it or not. The NFL enjoys non-profit status and sucks up BILLIONS in public money – money that belongs to the American taxpayers.

And that, in my view, makes the NFL subject to laws protecting the First Amendment rights of EVERYONE, including American Veterans who want to place an ad in their Super Bowl program. As long as this corrupt, mismanaged organization receives public money, it should not be allowed to reject any speech – political or otherwise.

The AMVETS ad was not coercive. It was not offensive. It didn’t condemn those refusing to stand, because American veterans – unlike the spoiled NFL players and the clueless officials – actually support everyone’s right to speak and protest. The ad is polite and understated, asking – not telling, but asking – people to stand and honor our veterans, our service members, and our nation that has given so much opportunity to so many people. It is not asking anyone to agree with anyone else’s politics or to support any policies of any political party.

It was merely asking people to show some respect, but it was rejected by the clueless, corrupt, disgusting NFL as somehow political.

Ergo, I’m going to exercise my freedom of choice – even though I love my Eagles and I’m thrilled at them having a chance at a Super Bowl championship – to not give the NFL my viewership or my support.

That’s part of the freedom I served to protect. I hope you understand.

Marta Hernandez is an immigrant, writer, editor, science fiction fan (especially military sci-fi), and a lover of freedom, her children, her husband and her pets. She loves to shoot, and range time is sacred, as is her hiking obsession, especially if we’re talking the European Alps. She is an avid caffeine and TWD addict, and wants to own otters, sloths, wallabies, koalas, and wombats when she grows up.

13 Comments

The NFL is out of control with their alliance with Progs. It’s no wonder their ratings have been declining-people are tired of such BS. Progs have managed to politicize everything in society-you can’t even escape it by watching a simple game on TV anymore. Utterly pathetic.

Best snapshot of this nonsense was Godell expressing shock and confusion at the “disrespect” leveled at the NFL for enabling the disrespect of our flag and anthem. I watched his eyes, waiting for him to catch an epiphany, but that train never left the station. Clueless. The Fosters just respect for institutions and complains when his institution is disrespected.

The other is the BLM protests biathletes you copied your geology paper in high school and got their name wrong.

1) anyone who truly cares about black lives would take 15 minutes to research the Martin, Brown, Gray, Scott etc cases, and quickly realize these men were responsible for their own fate, they were not “executed” by police or some systemic white blah blah blah. So it’s obvious these guys don’t give a damn about black lives, they are just virtue signaling, likely to compensate for failings in their personal lives. “Hey maybe I did make a pass at the babysitter but I believe in Black lives so I’m not a total douche, right?”

2) if I really thought my race was being systematically executed in the streets by our government, do you really think my “statement” would be kneeling during the national anthem? Hell no, I would quit the NFL and pick up a rifle.

These guys are posers. I can’t even look at them anymore without wanting to vomit.

When we lived in the SF Bay Area, our county, Alameda, was hit with a special tax to support the Oakland Raiders. Since Oakland was promised the Raiders would not cost the city a dime, it was held that the rest of the county had to make up the difference. And after all that, they didn’t even have the decency to have a winning season.

Marta, you saying you’re from Philly makes things much clearer… I always thought there was something familiar about your style, and now it all makes sense (I grew up just south of the city…) and I agree, it’s great to see the birds make it to the superbowl, and ya gotta love the underdog masks, but i’m gonna have to miss the game, cause i can’t support these assh**es in the National Felons League…

President Trump could MAGA if he removed all federal government involvement with the NFL: no tax breaks, no tax money for patriotic military displays, no jet flyovers, no military allowed to participate in any game-related activity including singing the anthem…and I can go on. NFL…*spit*. Unless they are Jesus, they are dead to me and won’t be rising from the grave like saviors of the world.